


Hottie In Brown Sparkles

by ETNMystic



Series: Unlucky Number 12 [3]
Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Ever - Freeform, Gen, Kawaii, Meta, also this is probably gonna get a lot darker, am i relevant now?, and maybe slightly more sadistic, anime jargon, bangtan boys - Freeform, catgirl!saf, first appearance of dark!ro, matcat, moe character turns into dark moe character, never make her angry, protective cinnamon roll dark queen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-06
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-08-19 14:05:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 14,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16535987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ETNMystic/pseuds/ETNMystic
Summary: When it seems like help has just arrived, Colleen finds herself back in danger once again. Add in a disco tent, some hot coals, and a bird cage and Colleen feels like she's in Hell. When a mix-up occurs between two other guests, and the others are forced to take refuge in the arcade, Colleen finds that it's her turn to be the hero. The question remains; can she save Everlock before sunrise?





	1. Choking the Bitch

“So I’ll ask you one more time, pup,” the leader hisses, leaning in close to her ear.  
"Are you for sale?”

Ro’s legs begin to tremble as the clown leader holds the blade back up to her throat. Closing her eyes, she’s ready to just give herself up to them.

“I——“ she begins.

But she doesn’t finish. At that moment, the roar of an engine pierces the silent tension. Around the corner comes a motorcycle.

“What the hell?” the clown leader exclaims removing the blade from Ro’s throat.

Cries of “Mortimer!” fill the air and Ro begins to feel hopeful again. Calliope also emerges and begins to untie the others. Mortimer soon joins her and when he gets to Colleen, she attempts to slow down the moment in her mind.

"Okay, that's should be loose enough," Mortimer tells her.  
"Get yourself somewhere safe."

For a moment, Colleen forgets that she's in any kind of danger and feels lost in a flurry of love.

_He wants me to get myself somewhere safe. He truly IS a knight in shining armor._

"Colleen!" Joey snaps.  
"Come on and give us a hand."

Being tugged from her thoughts, Colleen looks over to find the others battling the clowns. She's not really sure what she can do to help, she feels like she's pretty weak after all, but then out of the blue, Rosanna starts screaming and running, distracting the clowns. One of them simply stands there confused as hell, and that's when Colleen gets an idea.

Taking her coat off, she creeps up behind him before launching herself and her heavy coat on him. She stuffs a sleeve inside of his mouth and tries to pull back. He stumbles around a bit, flailing his arms, before falling to the ground. 

"Go!" she shrieks to the others.  
"Get in the arcade."

The majority of the group does, including Calliope and Mortimer, except for Safiya, who runs over to Colleen trying to get her inside.

"What the hell are you doing, Colleen?" she exclaims in confusion.

"I'm gonna choke this bitch," she replies casually, giving a shrug.  
"That'll be one less to deal with. Wanna help?"

Before Safiya can reply, they hear a high-pitched cackle. Whirling around, the two of them spy the other clowns with a trembling Ro being held by Crazy Sally.

Through the confusion and anxiety of "Oh my God. Are we gonna lose Ro?" Colleen feels a blow to her face and her coat flung violently on her body as it hits the ground. The clown she was choking earlier stands up and gasps for breath.

"Arnold!" Sally exclaims.  
"Are you okay?"

"Not sure," he pants.  
"The Bitch in Brown here tried to choke me."

Recovering from the shock, Safiya tries to make a break for the arcade, but all of a sudden, she feels a poke in the back of her neck. Reaching behind, she pulls out a small dart. Before she can read what it says, her world fades to black and she passes out, falling to the floor.

"Safiya!" Ro and Colleen scream.

All of a sudden, Colleen feels herself being violently pulled up by her arm. The Killer Clown Leader is so close to her face.

"You seem like the type who can also sing. Am I wrong?" she growls.

Colleen, petrified with fear, doesn't answer but the clown shakes her violently.

"AM I WRONG?" she snarls.

"No," Colleen replies in a thin voice.  
"No, you're not wrong."

She immediately regrets this, as the Killer Clown Leader gives a malicious chuckle.

"Good," she purrs.  
"That's EXACTLY what I wanted to hear."

She turns to the other clowns and points to Safiya.

"Take Morticia and Annie to the back of the Disco tent.  **I'LL** deal with Miss Brown Sparkles here."

And with that, the clowns head off with their catch in tow.


	2. Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Coaled, Some Like It In a Cage Thirty-One Years Old.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which, holy shit, I made these clowns kinda sadistic.

Colleen doesn't know what to expect as the Killer Clown Leader drags her into what apparently is the clown's disco tent. To her dismay, there are **at least** four dozen clowns in this tent. 

"Oh, you're gonna  **love** what I've got in store for you," the leader growls viciously.

 _I would beg to differ_ , Colleen thinks in fear.

Dragging her to the back of the tent, the Killer Clown Leader pulls out two sets of chains and links one to each of her wrists. Then she locks the other end to a pole nearby before stepping back to admire her work.

"So," she whispers viciously to Colleen.  
"I'm a nice person, so I'll let you get first pick; singing or dancing?"

_What?_

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, singing or dancing," she clarifies through gritted teeth.  
"And if you don't tell me within the next ten seconds, I'm gonna decide for you."

"Dancing," Colleen blurts out.

Another malicious grin creeps over the leader's face.

"Good," she growls.  
"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, not that you have a choice."

With a demonic cackle, she leaves.

* * *

Colleen stands there, watching the other clowns dance and have fun. She would be having fun as well if she weren't chained to a pole. Her stomach is filled with butterflies. What kind of dancing are they gonna expect her to do? Probably disco, but why would that require the leader to leave?

After ten or fifteen excruciating minutes, the leader returns with a rectangular box, some matches, some scissors, a razor blade, and a large bag of coal. Kneeling down, she takes out the scissors and cuts a small of Colleen's pant legs until the legs end up just below her calves. Then she takes a razor and pulls it up and down that part of the leg until all of the hair is gone. Then another clown goes over to the DJ table and presses a button. All of a sudden, Colleen feels herself rising with the pole until they're both about halfway up.

 _How do they have this kind of technology?_ she wonders.

But before she can continue her thoughts, she hears the leader placing the box under her and pouring the coals while two other clowns remove Colleen's shoes, leaving her barefoot. Then she hears the sound of a match being lit and soon the roar of a fire.

_Are they gonna burn me alive?_

But when she looks down, she sees that they've planned something worse. The coals below her have been set ablaze. She can feel the heat on the bottoms of her feet.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!" the Killer Clown Leader announces as if she were a ringmaster.  
"The Killer Clown Clan is proud to present our newest attraction; Miss Hottie in Brown Sparkles!"

The cheers and whistles make Colleen's stomach churn. All of a sudden, she feels a tickling sensation and she begins to kick as a reflex. All the while she's being lowered back to the ground. Soon enough the ticking feathers are replaced with burning hot coals from the fiery depths of Hell. Colleen gives out a cry of agony as she "dances" on the coals. This is the worst pain she's ever experienced and all the clowns are cheering and laughing at her.

_Do they have no souls?_

Tears stream down her face, as she prays for death to take her. After what feels like an eternity, she's lifted from the coals. Two of the clowns extinguish the coals and remove the box from below her feet. They still don't put her shoes back on her, though, and when she's lowered back down, though the floor feels cool and like Heaven, it also aggravates the newly-formed blisters on her feet. Weeping in total agony, Colleen collapses to the ground.

"Well, THAT was garbage!" the clown leader spits at her.  
"Let's hope you sing much better than you dance!"

The crowd of clowns cackle alongside her as Colleen prays that death takes her away.

After a few moments of laughter and shame, a few clowns bring out a large golden birdcage, hanging on a large white hook. It looks to be just big enough for her to sit in. Two of the other clowns undo her shackles and the leader gives her a push towards the gold cage.

"Get in there," she orders her.

Colleen tries to walk, but the pain in her feet is unbearable and she collapses in agony. She proceeds to crawl towards the cage, pull herself up, and slide inside. Once she's in, the clown leader shuts and locks the door.

"Well," she tells her.  
"Sing!"

Colleen is frozen in terror as all of the clowns stare at her. 

_You don't really have a choice, Colleen, so just do it._

Closing her eyes, she picks a random song and decides on one she did for her senior recital in college. With her eyes still locked shut, she channels the courage that she had back then and lets her heart out. 

After it's done, she opens her eyes and she's shocked to find that the clowns are stricken to silence.

_Great. Was it THAT bad?_

But, once again to her surprise, one of the clowns starts crying. 

"That," they tell her through their tears.  
"Was beautiful. My mom used to sing that to me to help me sleep. I am so sorry about laughing at you earlier."

This is followed by a round of applause and, to the leader's excitement, the other clowns give her money. Turning to Colleen, she smiles at her.

"Well," she tells her.  
"Perhaps I misjudged you. You DO have talent. You know, you could definitely be useful in helping us make bank."

Colleen feels a little relieved, until the leader leans in and whispers in a malicious undertone,

"And you're just what we need to bring everyone in town under our total command."

 


	3. Come with me/and you'll be/in a world of Incapacitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I tried.

Meanwhile, Sally takes the other two and ties them up back to back. Ro tries to struggle against her, but she only ends up getting her legs tied together as well. 

"Let go of me!" she begs as Safiya feels herself coming back into consciousness.

When she's out of her daze, Safiya whirls her head around the tent.

"What happened?" she exclaims perplexed until Sally gives a psychotic laugh.

"You're mine, that's what happened," she snarls.

Ro, terrified, trembles in fright. Seeing this, Sally gives her several pets on the head.

"It's okay, Annie. Momma didn't mean to frighten you," she assures her gently.   
"Once this is all done, everything will be all better."

"What do you want with us?" Safiya blurts out.

There's no answer. Sally just takes out two bottles; one filled with a potion and the other filled with salt. All of a sudden, the leader bursts in.

"Hey, Sally," she barks.  
"You know where that bag of coal is? I need it for Miss Brown Sparkles."

Sally gives this some thought.

"Um, I think I may have left it in my shed. Give me a minute. I can get it."

The second she exits the tent, the leader chuckles maliciously as she dashes into the kitchen. After coming back with two tubs of ice cream and several other ingredients. Then she grabs two ice cream sundae cups and gets to work.

"Oh man, I'm the clown-version of Willy Wonka up in this bitch!" she smirks.

She starts to slowly hum the tune of  _The Candyman_ from the movie as she goes a bit overboard. Then she takes out a spoon and pours the concoction onto it.

"What's that?" Ro puzzles.

"This," the leader gasps.  
"Is Sally's Innocence Serum. It's something she's been working on. I'm just helping her get one step ahead."

She pours the serum onto the spoon and picks a random sundae to spike before shrugging.

"Eh. Fuck it," she scoffs before dumping the whole bottle onto one of the sundaes.  
"If you're gonna go, you go all the way, am I right?"

Finishing it up, she grabs two spoons and places them in the bowls just as Sally returns with the coal.

"Here it is," she announces.  
"What are you doing?"

"I thought you wanted to give these ladies a clownie sundae."

"Yeah!" she squeals.  
"That'd be a great idea. Did you put---?"

"Yes, of course I did!" she interrupts.  
"You give yours to Annie, and I'll deal with Morticia."

Before Sally can grab a bowl, the leader snatches one up and rushes over to Safiya.

"There is no way in hell I'm eating that," she scoffs.

"Yeah," Ro agrees with a nod of her head.

"If you don't, we'll have to bring in Humphrey," Sally warns them.

As if on cue, from outside the tent, they hear snarling and growling. All of a sudden, this gigantic demon dog comes barging into the tent. Both of them scream bloody murder. Taking this opportunity, the clowns stuff a scoop of ice cream in their mouths as Arnold tries to drag the demon dog Humphrey out of the tent.

"You know, this isn't too bad," Safiya comments as they both finish up their sundaes.

"Yeah, it's pretty good," Ro agrees.  
"But is it just me or do you feel a little tired?"

Safiya nods off in agreement.

"And, sleep!" the leader orders.

Both of their heads drop. All of a sudden, the leader groans in frustration.

"Sally, I just remembered that I don't know where the box is for the coal. Can you get that?"

"Sure, if you take care of these two. Make her innocent and put salt around the other."

"Yeah, yeah," the leader exclaims as Sally leaves.

She takes a good look at the two before an idea pops into her head.

"Oh man, this is gonna be fun," she cackles.

* * *

About five minutes later, Sally returns with the box when she's greeted by a peculiar sight.

"Um, what's going on?" she perplexes to the leader.  
"I thought I told you to take care of these two."

The leader shrugs.

"Yeah, so?"

"So," Sally nearly screams in fury.  
"Why does Little Orphan Annie have the salt circle around her instead of Morticia?!?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember what I said about a "mix-up"? Well, it's more like sabotage.


	4. No Better Than a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So with the "accidental mix-up," the leader decides to work with what they've got.

Sally, by this point, is fuming. 

"I told you I wanted Morticia in the salt ring!"

"What's the big deal?" the leader scoffs.  
"It's a bunch of fucking salt. I could go to the grocery store here and buy twenty bags of the stuff. Just put a ring around them both."

Sally closes her eyes and sighs.

"It's not that simple," she informs her through gritted teeth.   
"That salt has to sit out under full moonlight in a very specific location before being used in the seances!"

"So? The cinnamon roll will become the Dark Queen, I guess," the leader shrugs.  
"What's the big deal?"

"We don't know how they'll react!" Sally stammers.  
"Plus for the Dark Queen transformation to work, the subject has to have a small amount of evil within them first. Look at Little Orphan Annie. Does she look like she would have ANY evil in her?"

The two glance over at Ro.

"You never know," the leader reminds her.  
"Looks can be deceiving."

"No!" Sally snaps.  
"I won't let you!"

She tries to reach out to untie Rosanna, but the leader stops her. Pushing her to the ground, she pulls out her gun, pointing it at Sally's face. 

_"You little shits!"_

An unfortunately-familiar voice echoes in Sally's head, and her face reflects in its pallor increasing.

_"Don't you dare shoot her!"_

_"Get out of the way, you little cockroach!"_

Sally is paralyzed by fear. Tears fall from her eyes. 

"Carrie," she squeaks breathily.

_"Put down that gun!"_

_"You took $100 out of my wallet!"_

_"We had to, to buy food,"_ Sally hears her 8 year old self stammer, her face stricken with tears and blood.

_"So you don't deny it, you little pests? You stole from your parents? Your sinful nature has been driving you to madness!"_

_"Every_ _detail we have told you was the truth! If you pull the trigger on us, you'll be no better than a thief!"_

_"The Lord spared me from the lake of fire, yet He cursed me with Lucifer's go-betweens, disguised as children."_

"Sally?" she hears the leader call from another point in time.  
"What's going on?"

 _"Sally, go!"_ she hears Carrie order her urgently.  
_"I can handle her!"_

Like mice, both Sallys scurry off. 

Back in the present, the leader shrugs. All of a sudden, she hears a groan. Whirling behind her, she notices that Ro's stirring awake. Rushing towards the tent entrance, she calls out for Homicidal Hogan.

"What is it?"

"It's time," she smirks, glancing at Ro.

Shrugging, he grabs a doll nearby and places it in the center. The leader and Hogan sit within the circle of salt, surround the doll, and grasp ahold of Ro's hands just as she's waking up. 

"What?" she groans, her head perking up once she sees the clowns.  
"What's going on?"

Her heart is palpitating; fear courses through her body.

"Quick," the leader whispers to Hogan sharply.  
"Say the incantation!"

Taking a deep breath, Hogan announces

_We who reside in the circle of salt wish to communicate with the Carnival Master. With your spirit, we implore you to enter into the corpse in the center so that we might speak with you._

There's a flash of green light; it surrounds the doll, levitating it in the air. Three slits rip into holes; two into eyes and another into a mouth, one with sharp teeth.

"He's here," the leader whispers excitedly while Rosanna watches on in horror. 


	5. The Rise of the Night Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're gonna get a new dark!au in this.

Ro can hear the stitches tear and break as the eyes and mouth are formed. Her heart is beating at an incredibly-rapid rate. Her eyes dart around for an escape, but she can find none. 

"Who's summoned me?" the doll growls in a rumbling voice. 

"Killer Kerrie and Homicidal Hogan," the leader announces.   
"So you remember how you said you were looking for a dark queen?"

"Due to me being encased in this amber prison, it's pretty much all I can think about."

"Well, we've found her. She's behind you."

Whirling around, he locks his bright, glowing eyes on Ro.

"Her?" he scoffs.  
"You do know I want one who I can corrupt, right?"

"Wait, you're not going to even try?" Kerrie stammers.

"I never said that," he hisses.  
"I'll see if she has anything I can use to corrupt her with."

Ro can feel his eyes digging into hers and into the back of her mind. She feels brimstone upon her mind and it forces her to writhe in pain. She tries to close her eyes, only to find herself unable to take control of her eyes. She can't look away from him, no matter how hard she tries. She can't even cry. Her tear ducts seem to have been stapled shut.

"Stop that please!" she begs.

"Shut up," Kerrie orders her.

"It burns," she screams.

"Shut up, you bitch!" Kerrie shrieks, spitting on Ro's face.

Ro begins to feel a strange feeling build up inside of her. A burning sensation. Her skin begins to show signs of red. Gritting her teeth, she realizes the feeling; rage. No one has ever called her that word before, let alone to her face. She tries to take deep breaths to calm herself, but she finds herself unable to do so. The spirit, whoever is in that doll, seems to be using some mysterious witchcraft to contain her rage, keeping it from cooling into tranquility. This fire, seeming to be trapped inside of a glass box, tortures Rosanna. And under the pain, she can hear the laughter of this doll.

"So it seems she has anger and rage," he growls.  
"That is something I can work with."

All of a sudden, Ro feels her hand being lifted up and forward towards the doll. She tries to pull back, but the supernatural forces of this town seem to be at work, preventing her arm from pulling back. And when she finally feels the fibers of the doll make contact with her skin, that's when she knows she's doomed. 

The glass box inside of her breaks. Brimstone fury courses through her veins. The inner lioness is emerging as a surge of power flows through her body. As her veins begin to glow black, her body is enveloped in a black aura; she grasps her head and cries out in pain as the surge travels up into her brain. All of a sudden, she feels herself being lifted into the air and she hears his voice in her mind.

_Let the power flow through you. Let it take over. Let the darkness take over. Know that there is nothing to fear, my dear._

_Leave me alone!_

_I'm afraid I can't do that now. There's no turning back. Only forward, forward to dark chaos._

Her clothes transform into a long-sleeved flowing dress with triangles cut into the sleeves and hem of the skirt. On her feet, black stilettos begin to form. A dark crown forms on top of her head and black gloves form on her hands. In her right hand, a tall, dark staff with a translucent orb appears and a black ring appears on her ring finger.

_Give into your dark side. Feel the liberation. No more social expectations. You’ll be free very soon._

Her lips turn midnight-black. Black eyeshadow forms and black eyeliner forms on her eyes. 

_Give in and accept me. Close your eyes. You’ll be in control now. No one will ever try to hurt you again._

Rosanna feels a strong surge of power through her body as her mind begins to shift. Her rage turns into a desire for discord and chaos. Her intelligence increases. And she feels a devotion to the Carnival Master envelope her mind. Then she feels a final jolt of power. The aura explodes and she slowly drops to the ground with her head low. The doll drops as the Carnival Master gives a final laugh which gradually fades out.

"How do you feel?" Kerrie asks her.

For a few moments, Ro lays motionless on the ground of the tent. Kerrie and Hogan glance at each other fearfully. 

 _Oh shit,_ Kerrie thinks.  
_Did we just kill Little Orphan Annie?_

All of a sudden, they hear a stir. Looking back at the body, they see her heard rising. Her brunette hair, darker and graced with black highlights, flows like water. Opening her eyes, Kerrie's perplexed to see that they're still cute-looking, but intimidating at the same time.

"Well," a voice emerges from Rosanna expectantly.  
"Are you going to kneel?"

All of a sudden, Kerrie and Hogan feel their knees give way. 

"Holy shit!" Kerrie gasps.  
"She....she didn't even raise her hand or anything. Is this Little Orphan Annie 2.0?"

Rosanna gives her regular laugh, except there's a malicious undertone within. 

"Oh no, I killed Little Orphan Annie. She is like a phoenix, transforming into the Dark Queen Eris Rose Noire, empress of chaos and discord, guardian of the darkest nights, and the dark angel of Everlock!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, we're getting dark!ro. 
> 
> You're welcome.
> 
> On "Morticia," some people suggested I do Innocent Safiya. With that, I thought why not do that AND switch it up for Ro.


	6. Colorful Cute Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How am I supposed to summarize this? 
> 
> Well, imagine an anime, multiply the cuteness factor by 1,000, add a lot of pastels and anime animals and sweets, and imagined that said anime had fallen over Everlock. 
> 
> That seems about right.

Eris Rose surveys the tent as the remains of the ropes used to bond her drop to the floor. 

"Well," she shrugs.  
"Not bad. Could use a little decoration, though."

Without even raising a finger, the tent becomes a pastel kawaii dream world with cute plushies, plates of sweets, and pixel hearts everywhere. Kerrie and Hogan are perplexed.

"This....this isn't really befitting to a dark queen, your majesty," Kerrie points out trembling.

Eris Rose shrugs.

"I like it. I like cute things."

In a split second, her nose is nearly touching Kerrie's.

"Do you have a problem with a dark queen that likes cute things?" she growls.

Intimidated Kerrie shakes her head and Eris Rose smiles cutely.

"Good," she exclaims as she gives Kerrie a pat on the head.  
"After all, if I didn't like cute things, I wouldn't like myself."

All of a sudden, she gasps.

"Oh! I've got another idea!"

Almost immediately, Kerrie and Hogan's clown outfits and makeup are gone, replaced by anime bunny and froggy costumes. Seeing this, Eris Rose squeals.

"Ohmygosh! You two are adorable. Don't you just love it?"

The two are too stricken by confusion and fear to respond.

"Well," she snarls in a deep voice.  
"Don't you?"

They nod once again. Following that they hear an adorable groan. Whirling around they see Safiya waking up. Curious Eris Rose glides over to her. Safiya opens her eyes and that's when Eris Rose loses her shit.

"Hello?" Safiya says cutely.  
"Are you my momma?"

Squealing Eris Rose places her fists on her cheeks, trying to keep herself from cuddling her to death. 

"OHMYGOSHCANYOUGETANYCUTER?" she blathers out excitedly.

Another gasp emerges from her and a second later, Safiya shrinks to the height of a toddler, wearing cat ears, a cat tail, a pink dress, pink shoes, cat paws, whiskers, she basically looks like she jumped out of the TV from an anime show. Her black hair is also styled into two fair-sized twin curls.

"What's going nyon?" she asks in a higher-pitched voice, covering her mouth when she hears her new speech pattern.

Eris Rose picks up Saf the Cat Girl and cuddles her. 

"I'm your momma, that's what's going on."

Eris Rose's mind is exploding with ideas of how to make Everlock better. Conjuring up a stroller, she places the cat girl inside of it and rushes out with it. Five seconds later, Kerrie and Hogan hear an explosion. Dashing over to the entrance, their jaws drop at what they find.

It's no longer nighttime, by the looks of it. There's pastels, pinks, blues, purples, greens all around. Little anime animals run and hop around. Candy and sweets line the streets of Everlock and cute J-Pop/K-Pop plays in the background. 

"I mean, she DID say she was the empress of chaos and discord," Hogan shrugs. 

All of a sudden, screams break out from the disco tent. Dashing inside, they find that all of the clowns have been turned into various types of anime characters. But the biggest scream comes from the birdcage.

"What the hell just happened to me?" the Disco Dancer shrieks in terror.

Whirling around, the clowns are shocked at what they see. Sitting in the cage is a light-brown anime bird with glittering feathers and large brown anime eyes. 

"This is already getting way out of hand," Kerrie gasps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, don't act like this WOULDN'T be Ro if she became a Dark Queen.
> 
> We all know it would be.


	7. Kinda some filler.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, in the midst of the chaos, I kinda forgot that this was supposed to be Colleen's story.

Colleen is in shock as she looks down at herself. Her blistered human feet have been replaced with cute, pedicured, bird feet. Her voice sounds higher than before, and why does she know some Japanese now?

"What happened?" she crows at the clowns who have turned into a chibi bunny and a chili frog. 

"Um," Kerrie stumbles.  
"Should we tell her?"

"What did you do?"

"Us? WE didn't do THIS!" she exclaims, gesturing to the new anime gathering.  
"It was the new dark queen!"

"Safiya?"

They shake their heads.

"No, the other one."

"Ro?" Colleen exclaims in disbelief.  
"That's impossible! She'd never do something like this."

The bunny gives her an "I'm-so-done-with-this-shit" look.

"You haven't seen the outside, have you?"

The bunny, after a few tries, reaches and undoes the lock, letting the bird known as Colleen go free. She zips right for the exit. When she gets outside, her jaw drops. 

"Oh shit!" she exclaims.

Then it hits her.

"What about the others?"

* * *

Matt doesn't know why he's on the ground. The last thing he remembers is them discussing about how to get the spring and song for the jack-in-the-box; then there was an explosion and then he blacked out.

"Um, guys?" he exclaims as he stands up.

Hearing his new higher-pitched voice, he gasps, covering his mouth. 

"Is it just me, or did the lounge just get a lot taller?" Teala asks.

She, too, hears her new high-pitched voice and covers her mouth. 

"And a lot more colorful?" Nikita adds.  
"And why is there J-Pop/K-Pop playing in the background?"

The others, standing up, take in the sight. 

"Does anyone have a mirror or something reflective?" Matt calls.

"Over here!" JC responds.

Everyone heads over to it and soon enough there's a flurry of screams and WTFs exploding from their mouths.

"Ears? Tail? Whiskers? Paws?" Matt lists off.  
"I look like a mustard-colored version of Skip-nya!"

Hearing the end of that, he covers his mouth again.

"We sound like anime characters!" Manny exclaims. 

All of a sudden, his eyes fall on Nikita.

"Bitch, you've got scales!" he yells.

Nikita manages to bring her tail around to the front and sure enough, she now had neon pink scales.

"I'm an actual dragon!" she shrieks.  
"But why am I so damn tiny?"

"You really think we're supposed to know the answer to that?" Teala exclaims.  
"All I know is that I'm a fox!"

"I'm actually really digging this look," Joey announces.

The others turn to look at him. Not surprisingly, Joey has turned into a tiny wolf, but his coloring doesn't match his former clothes.

"You're an actual crystal wolf, honey!" Nikita squeals.  
"And I am living for it!"

Sure enough Joey is colored in various crystal shades and glittering like that as well.

"That's actually really on brand for you," Manny smirks.  
"But I have no clue what I am."

All of a sudden, something swoops in through the lounge entrance, startling the group.

"Guys, it's me!" a voice calls.  
"Up here!"

They all look up to see a brown, glittering bird.

"Colleen?" Joey exclaims.  
"What the hell happened to you?"

"I don't know! One minute I was sitting in this birdcage and the next thing I know, I'm actually a bird!"

"Wait," Teala pipes up.  
"Guys, where's Manny?"

"I'm right in front of you," Manny's voice answers.

They all look around, but there's no sign of him until a lizard-type creature suddenly appears. 

"Right here, bitches!" 

"You're a chamelenyan?" Matt exclaims.

"A what?" 

"A chameleon," Nikita clarifies.

"They use their camouflage to blend into the surrounding environment when they're scared," Matt explains.

"Okay, so I'm a bird, Manny's a chameleon," Colleen lists off.  
"Nikita's a dragon, Matt's a cat, Joey's some kind of dog thing--!"

"I'm a Crystal Wolf, bitch!"

"Teala's some sort of red rat with a poofy tail---"

"I'm a fox!"

"Wait, where's Mortimer-kun?" 

Silence waves throughout as everyone stares at Colleen.

"Please tell me you did NOT just call him Mortimer-kun," Nikita groans. 

"I think this world is starting to affect us," Matt points out.

"Hey, dudes. What's about me?" Roi's voice pipes up.

They all turn to spy a red, white, and blue raccoon thing. 

"This isn't too bad, actually," he exclaims eagerly.

"I agree," JC's voice adds.

They turn to spy what looks to be something strange out of an anime version of  _Alice in Wonderland._ There was a caterpillar on a mushroom, smoking a hookah; when he saw the group, he gave them a dab. Well, multiple actually, as he used all of the legs on one side of his body.

"Well that's fitting," Colleen remarks.

"I see this affected you as well," Calliope's voice announces.

Standing in her place is a glittering, olive green owl. Popping out from behind her is an orange weasel. 

"Mortimer-kun?" Colleen exclaims in a squealing, anime voice.

"What the fuck?" Nikita asks.  
"Did I actually just see hearts appear on Colleen's eyes?"

"Who did this?" Matt exclaims in frustration. 

Colleen, hearing this, gives a sigh.

"I'm not sure if they were telling the truth," she explains.  
"But two of the clowns said that it was Ro who made Everlock like this."

 

 


	8. We are Family (aka What happens if you make Eris Rose angry)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Word to the Wise: NEVER EVER make Eris Rose angry.

Eris Rose, meanwhile, has made a castle for herself; it's a grand, well-crafted, elegant and dark structure, a vast differentiation from the rest of the cute and colorful Everlock.

She's sitting at her throne, watching her catgirl Safiya, or Safinya, destroy and recreate dolls (though they're actually shrunken corpses of the former citizens of Everlock that Eris Rose froze, but she doesn't need to know that). All of a sudden, a bunny and a frog hop inside. 

"Well," Eris Rose sniffs.  
"Took you long enough."

With a snap of her fingers, the two are instantly turned back into their clown selves. 

"I'm glad you're okay. Where is the Lark?"

Kerrie and Hogan glance at each other, knowing that they're in for it. 

"Um, well, we kinda let her get away," Kerrie laughs nervously.

But Eris Rose doesn't scream at them; she just closes her eyes and purses her lips.

"You're....you're not mad, are you?" Hogan wonders fearfully.

"No, not mad," she sighs.  
"I'm just disappointed. She's pivotal for the device to work."

All of a sudden, the two feel scratches at their legs. Looking down, they see Safinya, clawing at them and hissing.

"Now, Safinya," Eris Rose tells her.  
"That's not polite to do."

Ashamed Safinya backs off.

"Tell them you're sorry."

She looks up at the clowns with her cute brown eyes. 

"I'm sowwy for scratching mew," she apologizes. 

Eris Rose smiles.

"That's better. Now why don't you go and play with your dolls."

"I was actually thinking of having one of them be sacrificed by the others," Safinya replies.  
"Can I have a lighter pwetty pwease?"

With a snap of her fingers, Eris Rose creates a special lighter. 

"This will make sure you don't burn yourself or others. Now go have fun."

Safinya gives a mischievous giggle.

"Oh, Ermina!" she calls out to her dolls.  
"It's time to start the bonfire!"

With that, she runs off. Eris Rose turns to the other two.

"How's Luke doing on the device?"

"You called?" a voice pops up.

Whirling around she sees Luke, who had been transformed into a poodle, dragging in a table with a sheet over it.

"Oh good! You've got it."

Hopping off the throne after she turns him back to human, she goes over and inspects Luke.

"Did you hurt yourself? Are you bleeding?" she questions him, concerned.

"No, I'm fine," he assures her.

All of a sudden, she gasps loudly.

"What is this?" she nearly screams, pointing at his hand.  
"WHAT is THIS?"

The others gather around to see a small cut on the top of Luke's right hand.

"Oh, that?" Luke scoffs.  
"That's just a small cut."

"Come on, Luke," she chastises him.  
"You know the rules."

Sighing, he holds it out to her. Happily she gives the cut a little kiss and it fades away.

"There," she announces, patting his hand.  
"All better."

As she skips back to the throne, Kerrie can't help but wonder.

"Your majesty," she pipes up.  
"Why are you so concerned about our safety?"

Hearing this, Eris Rose looks at her as if she'd just been asked what 1+1 is.

"Because," she answers.  
"I think of you all as like my little family. And as the mama bear, I'm not going to let you get hurt."

"We get hurt all the time," Luke shrugs.  
"It's really not a big deal."

"That's because you didn't really look out for each other before, did you?"

The three clowns stares at one another and sigh.

"No, not really," they reply, their answers overlapping one another.

"But now you have me."

All of a sudden, they hear crying and laughing. Sally, who's been transformed into an anime squirrel, comes waddling in with a red, bleeding mark on her face and tears in her eyes. Behind her come two laughing creatures; an anime lion and an anime meerkat; Metalhead Mickey and Arnold. Immediately Eris Rose rushes over to Sally's side.

"Sally, what happened?" she panics as she pulls her into a hug.

Sally, whimpering, tries to choke it out as she shakily points at the two laughing creatures.

"T-they were t-t-telling me that n...no one loves m-me, a...a..and that I'm......useless. It's j-j-just like with m-me and m-m-my old m-m-m-momma."

Upon hearing this, Eris Rose feels anger rising in her.

"Oh," she fumes at the two of them, her voice steadily rising in volume.  
"You think it's funny to hurt someone like that? You think it's SO FUNNY TO MAKE SOMEONE CRY? IS THAT IT?"

The two creatures immediately stop laughing and are taken aback.

"We....we were.....just t-t-teasing her," Arnold replies, trembling.

"Just teasing her?" Eris Rose screams.  
"Look at her! LOOK AT HER FACE! IS THAT 'JUST TEASING'? IS TELLING SOMEONE THAT NO ONE LOVES THEM 'JUST TEASING'? IS TELLING SOMEONE THEY'RE USELESS 'JUST TEASING'? IS IT?"

_(scene freezes and turns black and white)_

It is at this moment that Mickey and Arnold know...........they fucked up.

_(unfreeze and back to color)_

The two are trembling before the enraged, dark queen. 

"IF I EVER HEAR THAT YOU ARE PICKING ON OR HURTING HER EVER AGAIN, I WILL MAKE YOUR LIVES A LIVING HECK! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

The two nod quickly. Upon seeing this, Eris Rose finally calms down.

"I'm so sorry," she apologizes somberly.  
"But I'm disciplining you because I love you. I know I shouldn't have yelled. It just really angers me to see people in pain."

With this she turns to the whimpering Sally and hugs her again.

"There, there," she consoles her softly, rubbing her back.  
"It's okay. Mother's here."

She gives her a kiss on the cheek and soon enough, the redness fades away and the wound seals itself up.

"There," she tells her.  
"All better."

Sally, in response, shakes her head.

"It's not all better," she squeaks.  
"My old momma used to do that to me, and more."

"Well, she's not your momma anymore," Eris Rose assures her.  
"I am. Like I said earlier, I think of you all as my little family. And as we're family, I decree that you all have to protect and look out for one another. Is that clear?"

The clowns are taken aback. Never have they had someone so concerned about their safety before. 

"Is that clear?" she repeats more firmly.

An overlapping of agreement follows.

"Good," she replies clasping her hands together.  
"Now Luke, are you ready to show me the invention?"

Nodding, Luke pulls off the cloth to reveal....

"A microphone?" Kerrie scoffs.

"Not JUST a microphone," Eris Rose corrects her.  
"A very special microphone. A siren mic. It amplifies someone's singing voice to hypnotic frequencies and lulls anyone who hears it into a trance that will make them extremely susceptible to suggestion."

Tapping her fingertips together and giggling, she follows with

"Now all we need.....is the Lark."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We stan a protective cinnamon roll dark queen.


	9. Anime Expedition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This might get cringy. I'm using some anime jargon in this.

The other's have returned to the couches of the lounge and are now attempting to process what Colleen has just informed them of.

"Ro-chan did this? I don't believe it," Matcat hisses.  
"Baka!"

"I never said she did!" Colleen huffs in frustration.  
"The clowns said she did, and we don't know for sure if they're telling the truth. For all we know, Ro-chan's dead by now."

"Dead?" Matcat squeaks as tears form in his eyes.  
"Ro-chan? Dead? N--nyo! M-Masaka! Unthinkable! Baka! Baka! Baka, baka, baka, BAKA!" 

"Oh my God!" Nikita screams.  
"Would you stop saying that word? It's driving me crazy! Why are you saying that anyway?"

"It's the environment," Calliope sighs.  
"Whatever magic was used, it's starting to change us all, not just in the physical sense, but also mentally. If we stay in this world for too long, we'll have forgotten who we once were by sunrise." 

"We're all turning into anime characters," Roi summarizes.

Calliope nods.

"Is there anyway we can turn back?" JC asks as he takes another smoke of the hookah. 

"There is," Calliope assures them.  
"We would have to convince whoever did this to turn us back. If Ro-chan DID do this, then we'll need to find her."

"Then let's go," Nikita orders.  
"I don't know how long I can stay looking so damn kawaii!"

* * *

 

Colleen, leading the way, takes them outside to this anime-covered, pastel-candy-covered kingdom. 

"Is that J-Pop in the background?" Nikita gasps.  
"Do they also play K-Pop? Are there any K-pop bands here?"

"Bitch, you just wanna find BTS, don't you?" Manny scoffs with a smile. 

"What can I say?" she shrugs.  
"JiMiN is daddy."

"Guys, look!" Teala exclaims as she plucks a lollipop from the ground.  
"There's candy everywhere! I am starving!"

"Don't," Calliope warns, snatching the lollipop out of Teala's hand and yeeting it towards the ferris wheel.

"Calliope-san, why'd you do that?" Teala whines. 

"She's right," Matcat exclaims.  
"That lollipop was glowing. It's probably radioactive."

"Worse," Calliope replies.  
"Eating that candy will not only speed up the forgetting process, but make someone look even cuter."

"Look!" Roi points.   
"There's a castle up ahead."

Scurrying up to it, the group does a double take.

"Masaka, Roi-kun," Manny exclaims.  
"It's way too kowai! There's no way Ro-chan's in there. If she did this, her fortress would be saimoe, like her."

"Um, the pathway's lined with lollipops and gumdrops," Colleen points out.  
"I think it's safe to say that this is her fortress."

"C'mon, minna-san," Mortimer encourages them with a huge grin on his face.  
"Let's go find Ro-chan!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There. I mentioned BTS, something relevant. 
> 
> I also apologize for the overuse of anime jargon. Don't expect it to decrease just yet.
> 
> (Rough) Translations:  
> -chan: Honorific used to describe girls. Also used for someone or something you find cute.  
> Baka!: Stupid (I mean to use it to mean ridiculous, in this case).  
> Masaka!: It can't be.  
> Kawaii: Cute/adorable/Rosanna Pansino (I mean, what?)  
> -san: Neutral honorific.  
> Kowai: Freaky (I mean to use it to mean dark-looking, in this case)  
> Saimoe: Sai means "most." Moe is an anime archetype, usually to describe characters who are youthful, innocent, and vulnerable, and/or ones that elicit feelings of affection and protection. So saimoe would mean "most cute" or "cutest."  
> Minna-san: everybody.


	10. Boom! Banana Face!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group arrives at the palace of Eris Rose and the aforementioned begins to have nostalgia.

The group approaches the door with apprehension. They don't know if Ro is really the mastermind behind what Teala has dubbed Ani-lock or if she's being held captive by the true mastermind  ~~Junko Enoshima,~~ whoever they are.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Roi hesitates.

"Are you kidding me, Roi-kun?" Nikita groans.  
"You're the motherfucking Daredevil, and you're backing down NOW?"

"Well, excuse me, but in case you haven't noticed, I've been transformed into a raccoon. Raccoons aren't usually considered daredevils!"

"You could be a Raccoon Daredevil or some shit!"

"There's no such thing."

"Well, there's usually no such thing as a Troublemaker Dragon, and yet here I am."

"Um," Manny pipes up.

"Don't even start, bitch-kun!"

"Minna-san, enough fighting!" Joey barks.  
"Let's just get this over with!"

"Hey, don't be like that," Matcat exclaims.  
"We nyeed to think positive! Ro-chan is counting on us!"

"Yeah!" Teala agrees.  
"Let's give it everything we got!  ~~It's Punishment Time!~~ "

The group first try pushing against the door. Then they try pulling. Then they try bashing their way in, but nothing seems to work.

"Um, guys," Colleen coughs after watching them possibly bash their skulls in a bunch of times.  
"Maybe we could try, you know, knocking like normal people."

"People," Nikita exclaims.  
"In case you haven't notice, Colleen-san, we ain't people!"

"Nikita-san, chill," JC breathes slowly.  
"Fighting's gonna get us nowhere."

"You're only saying that because you're constantly on the good kush," Manny scoffs.

"It's not weed. But I mean, if you want some of what I've got, all you gotta do is ask."

"No, I don't want---!"

All of a sudden, they hear the door creak open. Towering above them is an adorable woman dressed in all black; Dark Queen Eris Rose. The group trembles in fright until she sees them.

"Oh my Gosh!" she squeals.  
"You are so cute!"

The group stops trembling and now looks absolutely perplexed. 

"Guys, why does this lady sound so familiar?" Nikita wonders.

"Is she?"

"She can't be," Teala objects.

"But there's nyo other possible explanyation," Matcat counters.  
"Similar face, similar voice."

Eris Rose, watching them debate, giggles in amusement.

"Similar giggle! It's gotta be!"

"Are you lost? Come in!" she invites them.

The group scurries or flaps on through to see an immaculate and grandiose foyer, a stark contrast to the world outside. 

"Well," Eris Rose shrugs.  
"I mean, it's not perfect, but it's home. You're welcomed to stay as long as you wish. And you are always welcomed back at anytime."

All of a sudden, it occurs to her.

"Are any of you hurt?" she gasps.

"Um, no," Colleen pipes up.

"Ro-chan?" Matt asks sweetly as he approaches her feet.  
"Is that mew?"

Looking down, Eris Rose gasps again.

"Aww! So cute!"a

She picks the cat up and cuddles him. 

"You're so fluffy! Anyway, I don't quite know who Ro-chan is; My name is Eris Rose."

Holding up Matcat, she takes a close look at him.

"I think I'll call you Skip. You look like a Skip."

"Ro-chan!" Matcat exclaims.  
"It's me, Matpat!"

Hearing this she stares at him confused.

"How do you nyot remember me?" he asks sadly.

Seeing his sad cat eyes, Eris Rose cuddles him more.

"Aww," she coos.  
"It's okay." 

When she brings him close,

_Do you know that I have this theory, one might say a life theory, where it is impossible to keep a straight face after being slapped across the face with a banana?_

A voice speaks in her mind, a male's. It sounds familiar.

_Try me._

And now a female; this one's similar to her own.

"Matt?" she gasps in her normal voice.

_Having a bad day? Boom! Banana face!_

Ro begins to giggle a bit.

_Aww, just lost my job? Boom! Banana face!_

The giggling intensifies a bit.

_Aww, my wife left me? Boom! Banana face!_

She gives a loud laugh.

_Ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring._

"Banana face," she finishes.

"Ro?" Matcat asks.

"Matt?" Ro replies.  
"Is that really you? What happened?"

Eris Rose fights against her, but Ro is persistent. But soon the fighting becomes too much, and Ro lets Eris take over.

"I'm kinda tired," Eris Rose exclaims.  
"I'm gonna take Skip up to my room and take a nap. The rest of you make yourselves at home."

And with that, Eris Rose takes Matcat and, with a snap of her fingers, she's gone.

 

 

 

 


	11. Wear and Tear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is inside Eris Rose's castle, but strange things begin to happen.

Eris Rose arrives with Matcat in the bedroom. It's heavily decorated in pastels and cute things. In one corner is a crib colored in black with a cat girl with black hair sleeping in it.

"Safinya?" Matcat mews.

"Shh!" Eris Rose shushes him gently.  
"She's taking a little cat nap."

But all of a sudden, a mew comes from the crib and Safinya rises up. Little whiskers don her face. Her eyes are black, but large and adorable. 

"Mam-Nya?" she asks cutely, tilting her head.

"Safinya, this is your new brother, Skip."

She takes out the two kitten people and places them on the big bed.

"Safinya," Matcat whispers.  
"It's me, Meowtt. We got turned into anime characters."

Safinya says nothing. She just stares at him, blinking and tilting her head. 

"Saf?" Matcat asks again, concerned.  
"Saf, you n-yo who I am, right?"

Once again, only a blank stare. Then she reaches out a paw and smacks him lightly.

"Hey!" he mews, pouting.   
"That was nyot nyice!"

Giggling, she does it again multiple times. Matcat tries to dodge them, but Safinya has ace aiming skills.

"Stop it!" Matcat begs her, hissing.

Suddenly, Eris Rose pulls them both beside her.

"Safinya," she scolds her gently.  
"That's not a nice way to greet your new brother. Say you're sorry."

Pouting, and her paws crossed, Safinya turns to Matcat and sighs.

"I'm sowwy for smacking mew," she grumbles adorably. 

Eris Rose smiles adorably and brings them closer together.

"Now give each other a hug," she tells them.

Safinya, semi-eagerly, pulls Matcat into a hug, almost seeming to strangle him.

"Stop!" Matcat chokes out.

Finally she pulls away and Matcat gasps. All of a sudden, the door opens and in steps Killer Kerrie.

"Am I interrupting you, your majesty?" she asks politely.

"Oh, no!" Eris Rose smiles.  
"Please come in, Kerrie. How are you?"

"I'm doing alright. Yourself?"

"Quite well, thank you."

All of a sudden, two cups with tea bags inside, a kettle, and a plate of biscuits appear out of thin air.

"Have a biscuit, my dear Kerrie," Eris Rose tells her gently.

"Oh, no thank you. I won't be here long. I just came here to discuss something with you."

"I insist. You've barely had anything to eat since we arrived here tonight."

"No, really, I---"

"I said, have a biscuit," Eris Rose orders her firmly, glaring at her angrily.  
"I will not let my family go hungry!"

Trembling slightly, Kerrie grabs a biscuit and eats it. 

"Thank you! So what was it you came here to discuss?" Eris Rose wonders, beaming.

Matcat is amazed. Even as a "dark queen," Ro-chan is still a literal ray of sunshine, just more forceful and chaotic.

"Oh, I---" Kerrie begins with her mouth full of biscuit.

"Uh-uh-uh," Eris Rose scolds, glaring at her.  
"Wait until you've swallowed. I don't want you to choke. And for goodness' sake! Drink some tea. A dry mouth will only make swallowing food even worse. Ah, but first--"

Out of nowhere, two or three small ice cubes drop into her cup. She waits to let them melt before testing the cup.

"There you go," she exclaims, handing Kerrie the cup.

Kerrie takes a little sip, but Eris Rose still glares at her, so she sips a little more. Once the biscuit has become soggy enough, Kerrie swallows it. Eris Rose's still glaring at her, so she follows the gulp with another sip of tea before wiping her mouth. Satisfied, Eris Rose beams once again as she pets Safinya and Matcat.

"So what was it that you came here to discuss with me?"

"Oh yeah!" Kerrie exclaims.  
"I think the songbird we're looking for is here."

Hearing this, Eris Rose's eyes grow wide.

"Really?"

Kerrie nods.

"That sparkly brown one."

Matcat gasps quietly. 

_Are they talking about Colleen?_

"Oh yes! She's beautiful. I think she'll be a wonderful songbird to use the invention on. Please show her to her chamber and have Sally start on the special seed mixture."

"Of course."

"Oh! Oh! And...and...and....and can I have a cookie pwetty pwetty pwease wiff a chewwy on top?" Safinya asks eagerly looking up at Kerrie with super cute anime eyes.

The cold-hearted bitch that she usually is, even Kerrie can't resist those eyes.

"Fine, you can have a cookie," she sighs before leaving.

When she shuts the door behind her, Eris Rose goes over to an armoire and takes out a bottle of milk and two bowls. Pouring the milk into the bowls, she sets them out for the two cat chibis. 

"Drink up, you two," she tells them gently.

Safinya and Matcat takes a few sips. All of a sudden, Matcat feels particularly foggy within his mind.

"What the....?" he groans as he begins to stumble. 

Things begin to slip from his mind; memories of his life begin to dissolve.

"What's going on?"

To him, his voice sounds slow and echoey. Life begins to move with doubles of everything until he falls on the bed, the world black as night.

* * *

Meanwhile the others are exploring the palace. 

"This place is pretty bitching," JC exclaims calmly.

All of a sudden, they hear a rip. Whirling around, they see a corner with a hole in it. Light shines through it and they hear the typing of keys.

"What the hell?" Manny stammers.  
"This is freaky." 

All of a sudden, the typing stops. And soon they hear a voice, one that sounds kind of familiar.

"Hello?" a girl's voice asks.  
"Is someone there?"

Teala gets closer and sticks an eye on the hole. What she sees nearly makes her choke.

"Why is there a rip in the webpage? How did it get there?"

She sees a girl with blonde hair and glasses, inspecting the rip.

"Is it a programming error?"

"Teala?" Nikita whispers.  
"What is it?"

"I......I...." Teala stammers in shock and disbelief.  
"I have no idea."

All of a sudden, they hear a scream. Turning around they see Killer Kerrie with a bird cage. Inside of the birdcage is Colleen.

"Sorry," she smirks.  
"But don't think that just because our queen is nice to you, it doesn't mean she doesn't have a scheme."

All of a sudden, she spies the hole. Curious, she looks through it and gasps, but her gasp is a happier one.

"It has begun," she whispers eagerly.

Standing up, holding the cage high above the others, Killer Kerrie dashes away, Colleen's screams fading out more the further away they get.


	12. Suspicions of the Songbird

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colleen overhears some pretty crucial info and the group begins to grow suspicious.

Colleen, stuck in the birdcage which is now hanging on a hook, desperately tries to fling her body against it to knock it off and hopefully open it. After several attempts, she begins to feel weary and slumps to the floor in defeat.

"This is impossible!" she moans.

All of a sudden, she hears another rip and two voices echo through it.

_"---not dark enough. What happened to the despair of the first story? Or the death toll in the second?"_

_"It's difficult with Ro as the Dark Queen. She's so sweet that a Dark Queen probably WOULD be a Ro that's more chaotic, not evil. Besides, I'm making Matt innocent. Remember the milk? That would cause him despair, right?"_

_"Ah, but I know you, my dearest. You can go darker. MUCH DARKER. We need a death or two to make it much more interesting."_

_"But death's overdone, you know that. It'll be boring."_

_"Not if it comes from you."_

There's a bit of silence.

_"I----I don't know about this."_

_"Come now, my love,"_ the voice assures her gently.  
 _"I know it seems cruel, but it's not really happening to those they're based on. They're just characters, after all."_

_"But some people get really invested in a character."_

_"All the better. Give them a reason to keep reading. Make them believe there's a chance they'll come back. Besides, what have we been doing each time the story ended? We've resurrected them and told a different story. We have several other stories to tell after Colleen's."_

"What?" Colleen gasps.   
"MY story?"

_"But what if she heard that we were talking about this? Wouldn't she tell the others?"_

_"Write that no one will believe her. In fact, I believe it's about time we add suspicion of a spy for the Cursed God. They'll certainly target her."_

_"But what would be the punishment for the spy?"_

There seems to be a moment of silence until the woman gasps.

_"But.....that's so painful! With acid on the points as well?"_

_"Yes, it will be worse than what Joey had in mind for her. MUCH worse. He's no better than the fans who write the fiction."_

_"I....I don't know if I can do this. They'll hate me for it."_

_"It's your story, my sweet. But I really think that your audience will eat it up, seeing their favorite Disco Dancer in peril. Who knows? Perhaps then she'll agree to Queen Eris Rose's plan for security."_

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Absolutely. I know you writers love the catharsis and the release of emotions. Why, what about Leah? Was she not the one that detailed the canon in novel form?"_

"Leah?" Colleen wonders.  
"Who's Leah? And what happened to me in the canon?"

_"She seems to grow with power through this catharsis. You've noticed the messages people have left on her stories. She holds a type of mind control in this. People bend to her will, simply because she's crafted the fiction in such a way that it makes them want more. You have that power too?"_

_"I--I do?"_

_"Absolutely, my precious. And with myself by your side, you'll have even more power than Leah. Don't you want that?"_

More silence.

_"Well....I mean.....to be honest, I am a bit envious of how well-crafted and descriptive her stories are. I've never told her because I'm tired of admitting that someone is better than me at something I like. For once I want to be the very best at something. Like no one ever was. And I'm scared that I'll be forgotten. Is that selfish of me?"_

_"Not at all, my sweet. You've been hurt in the past. Besides she already is the queen of the video versions of this cult, anyway. But I can make YOU the Empress of the Cult's Written Word."_

_"Is cult REALLY the best way to describe the fandom?"_

_"Absolutely it is."_

Colleen cannot believe what she is hearing. She has to tell the others. Ignoring the rest of the conversation, she rocks the cage some more. Finally it falls and breaks open. Flying out of the doorway, she rushes to find the others.

* * *

 

"So what do we do now?" Roi sighs.  
"We've lost Ro-chan, Safiya-chan, Matt-chan, and now Colleen-chan."

"I'm not sure," Calliope sighs.

"I think we should go save Colleen-chan," Joey suggests.

"I'm not so sure," Teala cautions.

The others whirl around to face her.

"What do you mean?" Manny wonders.

Teala sighs, taking a deep breath.

"I know this is gonna sound super baka, but I've been thinking that.....that maybe.....that maybe there's a spy among us. A spy sent by the Carnival Master or whoever is in charge, so that he knows what we're doing at all times. Maybe that's why there was a rip in the castle."

"So what does that have to do with---?" JC begins.

"I think Colleen-san might be the spy."

The others simply gawk at her for a few moments.

"Colleen-san? A spy?" Roi scoffs.  
"Come on!"

"I don't like to think she is," Mortimer sighs.  
"I've been kinda thinking about.......when this is all over.....asking her out."

Nikita, upon hearing this, goes over to Mortimer and slaps him with her neon-pink tail. 

"Ouch!"

"Mortimer-daddy," Nikita giggles angrily.  
"You're so kawaii-sexy, but also so super-baka. Colleen is a drama queen, and I think Teala-san might be right."

"I mean, she IS able to get to various places in a short amount of time," Manny sighs.

"I don't like to admit it either," Joey huffs.  
"But we shouldn't discount the possibility."

"What do we do if we catch her spying?" Teala wonders.

They give this some thought.

"There's an old device with spikes on the inside. Maybe we can put her in there," Mortimer suggests.  
"ONLY IF she's truly the spy."

"Okay."

All of a sudden, they hear the flapping of wings. Rounding the corner comes Colleen.

"Oh my God, you guys!" she pants.  
"You won't believe---"

"Save it," Nikita hisses coldly.

Colleen comes to a halt.

"Whoa, did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed?" she jokes.

No one laughs.

"Let's just go find Matt-chan," Manny sighs.

As the others head off, fear begins to fester within Colleen.

_I think it may have begun._

 


	13. Reality, Fantasy, vice-versa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Saf and Matt realize that the line between reality and fantasy may not be as clearcut.

The conscious fades back into the cat. He can't remember who he is, but it feels like it's there; a small string of his former memories, *just* out of reach. 

"Skip?" a voice asks.  
"Why are you all......mustard-colored?"

Looking up, the cat sees a woman with light brown hair. And that string of memories comes slightly into reach.

"Steph?" he gasps.  
"It's me, Meowtt! I mean, Matt!" He struggles to say his real name without the cat sound.

Hearing this, she too gasps.

"Matthew? What happened?"

"I don't knyow. I think Ro-chan did this to me. PLEASE don't ask me why I'm talking like this. It's a long story. But what are mew doing here?"

All of a sudden, he sees a crackle coming from Steph. She tries to talk to him, but most of what he hears is static.

"Listen, I only have a few minutes, but I need to tell you what's happening. The Cursed God.......2018. Don’t ask me how.........the important thing is............the carousel, be afraid..............storylines..........reality and fantasy breaks........tears appearing........leak into the..............mansion..........get Mystic..........sucked into this...........send her..........Leah, Bronwyn........."

"What? What are mew saying? Who's Mystic? Who's Leah? Who's Bronwyn?"

"Her real name is.............ETNMystic. She’s...............made a deal with...........seem more............he’s been using...........between.........fantasy..........her series, that.........to tear. If she.............sucked into...........other writers.........bride.......Cursed God."

"What? Bride? ETNMystic? Steph, don't leave me!"

But it's too late. Steph fades away and Matt awakens. He's left with a feeling of despair, but also a feeling of determination. Looking around, he finds himself still on the bed with Safinya. 

"Safinya," he whispers, pawing at her.  
"It's Skip."

"Whaaa?" she groans.  
"I'm trying to sleep, you fucker."

Hearing this, Matt gasps.

"Saf?"

All of a sudden, she sits up.

"Matt?" she asks in her normal voice, even though she still looks like an anime catgirl.  
"What the hell happened to you?"

"What happened to YOU?" he retaliates, gasping as he realizes that his anime voice is gone.  
"You were acting all cute and innocent before this."

"Me? Innocent? I mean, cute maybe, but innocent? That's Ro's thing, not mine. What made us go back to normal mentally, though?"

All of a sudden, the two of them look over at the milk bowls. They tiptoe on over and give them a sniff.

"I think mine had a sedative," Matt theorizes.  
"What happened while I was out?"

Safiya gives this some thought.

"I noticed Eris Rose fighting with herself. Then Ro emerged."

* * *

_She grabbed this bottle and gave it to me._

_"Drink it, Safiya. Quick!"_

_So I did and then I passed out._

* * *

"But I also had this strange dream," she remarks.

"Me too!" Matt gasps.  
"What happened in yours?"

"I saw this church with a blonde woman and an Asian man standing beside the doorway. They told me that our worlds were on the verge of collision."

"Worlds? As in multiple?"

Safiya nods.

"They said that tears were appearing and things were leaking into 2018. They also mentioned a few names. Leah, Bird, Bronwyn, Lucy, Mystic. They actually said Mystic a few times."

"Bird and Lucy are new to me," Matt remarks.

"What about you?"

"I saw Steph. Well, it seems like it was her, but, like, a holographic version."

 _She's holo, biatch!_ Saf thinks.

"She said a few phrases. I think they were........the Cursed God, 2018, the carousel, be afraid, storylines, reality and fantasy breaks, tears appearing, leak into the, mansion, get Mystic, sucked into this, send her, Leah, Bronwyn."

"They emphasized Mystic as well? Why? What did Steph say about her?"

"I think she tried to tell me her real name, but there was a lot of static, which is why I only caught little words phrases. She said her real name is, ETNMystic. She’s, made a deal with, seem more, he’s been using, between, fantasy, her series, that, to tear. If she, sucked into, other writers, bride, Cursed God."

"The carousel? Storylines?"

All of a sudden, they hear a tear. Whirling around, they find that part of the bedroom has ripped open, revealing a white light.

"That.....wasn't there before, was it?" Safiya asks.

Matt shakes his head before the two of them head over to it. Trying to ration space, they manage to make out a conversation.

_"---giving them hints about this?"_

They hear a powerful man's voice first. Next a young woman's voice.

_"I think the readers will eat it up. It's not a spoiler. You need to give them SOMETHING. One question, though. Why are you having them emphasize my pseudonym?"_

"Is that Mystic?" Matt gasps quietly. 

"Shh," Saf shushes him.

_"It's your story, is it not, my dearest?"_

_"I mean, yeah, but you're making it sound like I'm PART of the universe. But I'm just a writer."_

_"I understand, but don't you think that the concept of connecting this to the real world, hypothetically, would be fun?"_

_"I guess you're right. Also if/when should the others try to put Colleen in the Maiden? Wait a second. Why is there another tear in the webpage? Why do I see these two, like, cat people?"_

Gasping, Safiya and Matt zip away from the tear.

"You heard all of that too, right?" Matt pants.

Safiya nods frantically.

"What did she mean 'The Maiden'?"

"Well, if it's what I think it is," Matt gulps.  
"Then we need to save her before it's too late."

 


	14. Escapes and Xylography

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Safiya and Matt make their way out, only to stumble upon an ominous warning from, apparently, the Society.

With their objective deduced, Matt and Safiya, still physically cat people, try to figure out what their next move is. 

"The floor looks like a long way down from up here," Matt hesitates as he peeks over the bed.  
"I wish we had, like, a scratching post fireman's pole or something."

"Or a thigh-high Ugg," Safiya adds.

"Yeah, a thigh high-----wait, what?"

"Don't ask. It was for a video. I have very questionable choices in fashion. Except for black. Black is always in style."

The two glance at each other, then back down at the floor.

"Where DID Eris Rose go?" Matt wonders.

"No idea," Safiya shrugs.  
"Like I said, I passed out. You know what? Fuck it! I'm gonna jump!"

Leaping semi-gracefully, Safiya lands on the floor. 

"You coming, Dipper?" she calls to him.

"Of course!" he scoffs.  
"Watch me make a perfect landing. Yoiks, and away!"

He plummets off of the bed and soon----

_THUD!_

He plants face first on the floor. All of a sudden, he hears soft clapping. He looks up to see Safiya clapping sarcastically.

"Oh yes," she responds in a sarcastic British dialect.  
"Quite graceful, indeed, Matthew."

Standing up, he dusts himself off and the two of them head to the door, which is luckily cracked open a tad. Opening up, they find a long hallway. Nearby is a staircase with something etched into the lower banister.

"A xylograph?" Matt ponders.

"Are you just trying to be fancy and sophisticated to make up for your fall?" Safiya asks him, rolling her eyes.

"No, it IS a xylograph," he assures her.  
"It means an engraving on wood."

He looks at it and sees the S.A.E. symbol. Beside it is a note.

_Don't have much time. If you are reading this, extreme peril and doom awaits one of you._ _There is a spy in the midst of your group who also has a target to kill. That target is one of you. Trust no one._

_-S.D._


	15. Fastened in Vernacular

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colleen is given a proposition by Nikita while Matt and Safiya stumble upon a door secured in a peculiar way.

Colleen tries to keep up with the others, but they always seem to be twenty steps ahead of her. She doesn't understand why they're running away from her, so she decides to ask them.

“Minna-san," she calls out.  
"Slow down. I need to talk to you!"

Reluctantly the group slows down and Colleen catches up with them. 

"I don't understand," she begins.  
"Why are you all acting so hostile towards me all of a sudden?"

"You know damn well why," Nikita scoffs.

"I really don't."

"Oh, sure. Like we'd trust a double agent. Baka!"

This makes Colleen nearly freeze.

"Double agent? Where the hell did you get THAT idea?"

Sighing, Teala steps forward.

"It was my idea. It's just......it seemed suspicious how you knew what was going on and what happened to them and the fact that the clowns trusted you enough to tell you doesn't help matters much either."

Colleen is shocked by this news. Yeah, the part about the clowns telling her could raise some red flags, but would that REALLY make her a spy? 

“I’m sorry,” Teala apologizes.  
“Something just invaded my mind and made me wonder if you were really trustworthy. But you’re not a double agent, right?”

“Of course not!” Colleen exclaims.  
“I would never work for the evil.”

“That’s a promise?” 

“100%.”

Nikita’s still not convinced. 

“Bitch, you gotta prove it.”

“How?”

The dragon gives this some thought. 

“I’ve got it,” she exclaims.  
“Kill one of those motherfucking clowns, and that’ll prove to me you’re not with the evil.”

_Kill a Killer Clown? How the hell am I supposed to do that?_

“You do realize that I’m, like, the least confrontational person in existence, right Nikita?”

“If you’re really on our side, then you'll suck it up and slit a bitch’s throat.”

“Even if I wanted to, I don’t exactly have the necessary equipment to hold a weapon.”

She holds out her wings.

“Hold it in your beak or something. I don’t care. Just kill one of them, and then come find us.”

And with that the group runs off.

* * *

“SD?” Matt and Safiya wonder.

“Who the hell is that?” Safiya asks.

“No clue,” Matt shrugs.  
“Is there anyone in our group with those initials?”

Putting her brain to further use, Safiya goes through everyone’s names, trying to match up the initials. It’s almost like trying to identify a fingerprint.

“No, I don’t think so,” she sighs.

“Okay, then if it’s true, one of us is working with the evil.”

“But what if it’s not?”

“Well, we’ve got nothing else to go on, though. It’s this or we try to find another clue.”

"I think we should keep this in mind, but also look for something else to create a trail with."

"That's fair."

They scurry past the bannister and through a corridor before stumbling upon a door. They try the handle.

“It’s locked,” Safiya groans.

“How are we gonna open it?”

Suddenly out of the corner of her eye, Safiya spies a keyboard on the side of the door.

“Maybe this could help.”

She presses a key and the screen lights up. Three statements appear on the screen that read 

  1. _“A life of monotony and toil leads him to abandon his family and shatter their illusions.”_
  2. _“The query of a thirteen year old genius.”_
  3. _“A famous line from the bloodiest tragedy, a woman gone mad.”_



“What the hell?” Safiya exclaims softly.  
“Do you know any of these answers?”

“Not off the top of my head, no,” Matt sighs.  
“You think maybe there’s a library where we’ll find them?”

“Maybe. It’s better than nothing.”

Immediately the two scurry off, trying to sniff out a study or a library of sorts until Matt stumbles across a room. Quietly, he opens the door and both of the intellects’ mouths fall open.

The room is piled high with books upon books upon books. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, y'all are pretty smart. Maybe you can puzzle out the answers for the Vernacularly Fastened Door before Matt and Safiya do.


	16. Two for One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Colleen deals with moral ambiguity, but a familiar device might be her answer.

Colleen is left at a crossroads. She’s gotta kill one of the clowns or else her friends are gonna think she’s with the evil. Or at least Nikita will. But Nikita’s stubborn and strong-willed. If she believes that this is the only way Colleen will be able to prove her morality, and Colleen doesn’t follow through, she will stop at nothing to make sure Colleen’s life will be a living hell. 

But Colleen’s not confrontational. She could never verbally attack someone, let alone kill them. But if she wants to earn the group's trust back, she has to kill one of the clowns. It's not an ideal situation, but it might be her only chance to avoid betrayal.

 

Colleen ponders some possible options as she flies around the castle. Her brain feels like it's melting. There's a ton of moral ambiguity at work here. On one hand, she knows killing is wrong. But she doesn't want to be branded a traitor. All of a sudden she finds an open door. Fresh air flows through the door as the kawaii music blares from outside.

 

"Maybe going outside will help me."

 

Gently and quietly she flies through the opening door unaware that she's being watched from a distance. She flies through the very brightly lit and neon town until she spies a rather creepy looking shop; it seems to have been unaffected from the transformation, so she decides to investigate. 

To her surprise it's propped open slightly, so with what strength she has in her form, she uses her head to push it open further. And as soon as she flies inside, she immediately regrets this decision. 

The walls are lined with the creepy looking dolls some look distorted warped even melted but others just have unsettling smiles upon the faces. At the back of the room another door is propped open slightly. quickly she flies on through only to discover a large coffin-esque device with a small compartment open near the top. Lying on the table nearby is a doll covered in what looks to be very tar like blood and a note. 

 

_Place this doll in the upper chamber if you wish to know more._

 

Hesitantly Colleen slowly flies down, and picks up the doll with her talons; she can feel the "blood" transfer over to them and she winces and cringes.

 

"Please let this be paint," she whimpers squeamishly as she flies to the open compartment before yeeting the doll into it.

 

All of a sudden, the doors seem to open on their own. Another regret washes through Colleen as her eyes lay upon the smith inside. 

 

"That's not cranberry sauce, is it?" she groans, feeling sick to her stomach.

 

On the ground of the chamber lies blood and organs. Whose blood and organs Colleen doesn't want to know. But looking a little further up, she finds her answer. Dozens of spikes and another note, this one on the door of the contraption.

 

_You have opened the Maiden of Madness, and regret will surely follow. To cleanse the Night Killer's doll, it must first be placed in the chamber beneath her feet. Then, one of you must be chosen by vote to forfeit their life and enter the Maiden. Once the door has been sealed and their screams have ceased, the doll will be cleansed. Choose wisely. Their death will weigh on your conscience._

 

Wait. For some reason, that doll sounds familiar. She's not sure why. But she's certain that this is one of the artifacts. 

 

_Not only could I prove this to Nikita, but if we take a vote about which clown goes inside, we could cleanse one of the artifacts. We'd be one step closer to escaping this god-forsaken town!_

 

She would say it's killing two birds with one stone, but that would imply a suicide on her part. The important part is that she's found her test of trust, and she flies back to tell the others.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no way this will go horribly wrong for her, right?
> 
> Sorry it's short. I'm trying to tie this story up cuz it's been a work-in-progress for some time.


	17. Decrypting the Library

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this is really short. I'm kinda losing flow for this part of the series, so I might start another pathway earlier or I might cut Colleen's a bit short. IDK.

Meanwhile, Safiya and Matt, still looking like little anthro-kittens, are still perusing the library for anything that might help them answer the riddles. They skimmed and threw books over their shoulders for a good quarter of an hour, before Safiya took a moment to think.

“Hang on,” she wonders before feeling a hardcover hit her back.

She whirls around to see Matt smiling sheepishly.

“Matpat-san!” she growls, covering her mouth.  
“Never mind, we need to find the answers. Let’s stop and think. What are the riddles?”

Matt takes a moment.

“Let me think,” he wonders.  
“I think the first one was…..’A life of monotony and toil leads him to abandon his family and shatter their illusions.’ Any ideas?”

Safiya shrugs.

“The only thing that stands out to me is ‘shatters’.”

“What shatters?”

“Glass.”

“And it sounds like a story.”

“Maybe a play.”

“Tom!”

Safiya stares at him in disbelief.

“What?”

“Tom Wingfield. Character from _The Glass Menagerie._ He fits the description to a T.”

 _I guess that kinda makes sense,_ Safiya thinks.

“Okay, the second one?” she prompts.

“It’s ‘The query of a thirteen year old genius.’ Any ideas?”

Safiya shakes her head.

“The third one is easy, though,” she says.  
“That has to be _Macbeth._ ‘Out, damned spot.’ You think all of these have to do with theatre?”

“’A famous line from the bloodiest tragedy, a woman gone mad.’ That definitely makes sense. Yeah, they’re all likely related to theatre, considering the writer. So what play would have a thirteen year old genius?”

Matt rubs his chin with his paw in thought.

“No clue; maybe we should ask Mystic? I mean, the tears in the story could have some sort of benefit to us.”

Safiya shakes her head.

“Might be too dangerous.”

All of a sudden, she spies a playbook out of the corner of her eye. Picking it up, she reads the title and author aloud.

“ _Arcadia_ by Tom Stoppard. Maybe this might help.”

Sure enough, Safiya turns to the first page and her eyes fall on the first line.

“That’s it!” she exclaims before grabbing Matt’s paw and pulling him out of the library.  
“C’mon, I think we’ve cracked this!”


	18. I Spy With My Little Eye Someone Who'll Possibly Fucking Die

Colleen flies back to the castle and decides to try to get the attention of one of the clowns. All she has to do is lure them into that shop, get them inside that……thing, and shut the doors on them.

Scaling the castle, she heads to the first floor, where she spies Arnold cleaning the windows. She quickly pecks on the one he’s working on. He looks up and gasps.

“Hey!” he snaps.  
“You’re supposed to be in your cage.”

“If you want me in there,” she sasses.  
“Come and get me, bish-san!”

He rushes out the castle doors and tries to grab her, but she’s **just** out of reach and she begins to fly away, making sure he’s consistently on her trail. She leads him into town and inside the untouched doll shop. Her little owl heart is beating at miles a minute as she leads him into the secret room. Hiding behind the contraption, she waits until he’s come inside and then goes to shut the entrance behind him.

But suddenly she feels a tough grip and she’s yanked down to meet his eyes.

“You’ve been a thorn in our sides for far too long,” he growls.

“We’ve barely met,” she counters.

“Perhaps in this reality, but not in others. Why were you even trying to get me inside of that anyway?”

She keeps her beak firmly shut. Seeing this he pulls her in close.

“Talk, birdy, or I’ll shut you in there myself!”

“Have it your way,” she shrugs casually.  
“Though I suppose this wouldn’t bode well with the plan.”

Unbeknowst to her, Arnold’s pressed a button on a belt he has on as he smirks in curiousity.

“I mean, you want the whole town to fall under your spell, right? How are you going to do that if I’m dead? The queen certainly wouldn’t be happy with that.”

Arnold gives this some thought.

“Go on,” he encourages.  
“Please do go on, Hottie in Brown Sparkles.”

“What’s there to go on about? If you and I are in this together, then you know exactly what the plan is.”

“So do you.”

“As I’ve just demonstrated. But if you kill me, the whole thing’s going to go to waste. I’ve got your back, you’ve got mine, right?”

“Suuuure,” he oozes as he presses the button again.  
“I’ve most definitely got your back.”

This time Colleen hears the click. But before she can say anything, he’s dragging her back to the castle. 

* * *

 

Teala and the others are still perusing the castle trying to find their way out.

“Any luck?” Calliope asks.

“Nope,” JC shrugs as he smokes on his hookah.

“Maybe if you got off your ass and helped, we’d find something,” Nikita huffs.

All of a sudden, they hear the pitter-patter of footsteps. They look over to see Safiya and Matt.

“Oh my God!” Joey exclaims.  
“You guys! You’re okay.”

“Probably even better than okay,” Safiya exclaims.

“We found a secret door that might be able to help us.”

“Would it get us out of here?” Teala asks hopefully.

“We’re not sure,” Matt sighs.  
“But it’s something.”

All of a sudden, they hear something clunk against the floor and static playing. They look over to see a cassette player.

“Think it’s a bomb?” Roi asks timidly.

“Doubt it,” Safiya answers.  
“Someone try tuning---“

But before she can finish, she hears a voice.

_“I mean, you want the whole town to fall under your spell, right? How are you going to do that if I’m dead? The queen certainly wouldn’t be happy with that.”_

“That sounds like Colleen!” Manny gasps before being shushed by Safiya.

_“Go on. Please do go on, Hottie in Brown Sparkles.”_

“Is that one of the clowns?” JC asks.

“I think so,” Teala gulps.

_“What’s there to go on about? If you and I are in this together, then you know exactly what the plan is.”_

_“So do you.”_

_“As I’ve just demonstrated. But if you kill me, the whole thing’s going to go to waste. I’ve got your back, you’ve got mine, right?”_

Then they hear a click and there’s the end of it.

“Did…..did you just hear that?” Teala squeaks.

“Oh, you bet your ass I did,” Nikita fumes.  
“Colleen-san IS a motherfucking spy!”

“Wait,” Matt exclaims.

“How do we know for sure? For all we know, this could be a set-up.”

“Do you want to risk that?” Manny asks him.

Matt remains silent.

“Mortimer, where’s this contraption you mentioned earlier?” Nikita orders.

“It’s at this creepy doll shop.”

“Dolls?” Manny gasps.

“Yeah, I’ll pass.”

All of a sudden, he feels a thud on the back of his head.

“Hey!” he exclaims to Nikita.

“Bitch-kun, you’re coming with us,” Nikita groans.  
“We need all the help we can to make SURE that motherfucking spy is gonna motherfucking die!"

"Okay, but first, we really need to figure out the secret door," Safiya insists pulling Matt to the stairs.  
"Come on. We'll show you where it is."


	19. When What You Know Does a Complete 180

Dashing up the stairs, Matt and Safiya lead the others to the doorway. Thankfully it’s still there.

“What the hell is that?” Teala whispers in awe.  
“I have never seen a lock like that.”

“A door that’s unlocked using certain phrases,” Matt explains.  
“A Vernacularly Fastened Door, if you will.”

He turns to Safiya.

“The first one is the Tom one.”

He types into the key pad: TOM WINGFIELD

They hear a beep and a click as the next statement appears.

“’The query of a thirteen year old genius,’” he recalls.  
“Saf, I’ll let you take this.”

Glancing back at the script for reference, Safiya types in CARNAL EMBRACE. Another beep and click.

“What’s carnal embrace?” Teala asks.

“Like you don’t know, bitch-san,” Nikita scoffs.

“I don’t.”

Manny gasps.

“You serious?”

She nods as Matt and Safiya have moved onto the final question.

“It’s basically a fancy way of saying they fucked each other,” Nikita exclaims in exasperation.

“Finally it’s that woman-gone-mad,” he reminded her.

She types in OUT DAMNED SPOT. They hear a series of three beeps and a click. The door slowly swings open and the group tentatively steps inside a long low tunnel.

“This looks like it’s gonna be a trek,” Nikita remarks.

“If it will help us get through this and find what we're looking for,” Safiya sighs.  
“It’ll all be worth it. Let’s go.”

* * *

 

The tunnel gradually becomes smaller, or at least it seems to be that way. Oxygen seems to be depleting and the group is feeling light-headed. But thankfully they see a light up ahead. Dashing towards it, they find a ladder leading up to a brighter source of light. Matt decides to go first, followed by Safiya. After about a twenty foot climb up, he pushes aside a pothole and steps out into the light.

Inside is what seems to be the lovechild of a congressional library and a high-tech spy headquarters. Documents are shelved on every wall. Monitors cover an entire side. As they hoist themselves up, Matt spies a chemical lab. On top of one of the tables is a beaker of a clear liquid with a label on it, reading HCN. Another is a tray of vials labelled Anthropomorphism Antidotes. Grabbing one, Matt takes a sip and feels his fur melt away and his body grow until he’s back to his old self.

Feeling ecstatic, he hands one to Safiya who promptly drinks it.

While the rest of the get their antidotes, she finds a stack of files that have been laid out containing familiar names. She flips through them reading the names under her breath.

“ _Bird_Of_Scarlet, canufeelthemagictonight, NervousAliceCurious, ETNMystic.”_

She stops at the last file and opens it up. Inside contains information about her both in the real world and in relation to the Possession. But it’s a letter in the back that catches her eye. One that she has not a clue about. One written and delivered earlier that day.

 

_C,_

_It’s just as we feared. Your apprentice is a powerful force, and it has now made them the target of the Society’s other half. Stumbling upon their file was a mistake. Refusing to let you destroy it was an even graver mistake._

_Once they realize the extent of this power, they will try to take them for themselves and then activate the clock, and you know what happens when it reaches zero._

_We tried to reach J, but J reached him first. If he succeeds in his mission, Everlock’s spell will be undone and the Society we strived to sustain will fall even further into ruins. The clock can’t move forward with the charm in place._

_Be warned, they will try to set the others against you. They will use my name. Don’t show them the Maiden of Madness or blood will be shed._

_-SD_


End file.
